Thursday 16 February 2012
|
|
Thursday 16 February 2012 |
Monarch makes robust defence of 'faith in this country'
By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent
The Queen delivered her strongest defence of the Church of England yesterday, describing its role in society as under-appreciated, after a week in which religion has come under intense attack.
Speaking at Lambeth Palace, the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, in her first public engagement to mark the Diamond Jubilee, the Queen delivered a rare rebuke to critics of establishment of the Church. "We should remind ourselves of the significant position of the Church of England in our nation's life. The concept of our established Church is occasionally misunderstood and, I believe, commonly under-appreciated," she said.
The Queen's intervention coincides with growing tensions between secularism and religion. Last Friday the National Secular Society won a court victory when a judge ruled that prayers could not be a formal part of council meetings. The society then vowed to try to outlaw prayers in Parliament.
On Tuesday, the Richard Dawkins Foundation, which propagates a vehement atheist agenda, published a survey claiming many people who identified themselves as Christians did not take a literal approach to Christian doctrine and the Bible. Baroness Warsi, the only Muslim in the Cabinet, then defended religion during a trip to the Vatican to meet the Pope.
The Queen, dressed in cardinal red, began her address to the leaders of Britain's nine main faith traditions by paying tribute to "the particular mission of Christianity and the general value of faith in this country".
She added: "Its role is not to defend Anglicanism to the exclusion of other religions. Instead, the Church has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country."
The Queen said that the gathering was a reminder of how much the Continued on page 13, col 4
Continued from page 1 nation owed the nine religious traditions represented in the room - Baha'is, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Zoroastrians as well as Christians.
She spoke after a tour of sacred objects from all the traditions at the palace, including the gold ampulla used at every coronation since 1661 to hold the chrism or holy oil for the anointing.
The nine traditions were sources of a rich cultural heritage and have given rise to beautiful sacred objects and holy texts, she said.
"Yet these traditions are also contemporary families of faith. Our religions provide critical guidance for the way we live our lives, and for the way in which we treat each other," the Queen added. "Many of the values and ideas we take for granted in this and other countries originate in the ancient wisdom of our traditions. Even the concept of a jubilee is rooted in the Bible." The Queen, spirited in her defence of the Church, said: "It certainly provides an identity and spiritual dimension for its own many adherents."
But also the Church of England has created an environment for other faith communities and indeed people of no faith to live freely. "Woven into the fabric of this country, the Church has helped to build a better society, more and more in active co-operation for the common good with those of other faiths," she said. Faith created and sustained communities all over Britain, playing a key role in the identity of millions, provided a system of belief as well as belonging, and acted as a spur for social action, she added.
Religious groups had a proud record of helping those most in need. "They remind us of the responsibilities we have beyond ourselves," she said.
Dr Rowan Williams told the Queen that she had been able to show that being religious was neither eccentric nor abnormal.
Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, said: "Being established means the Church defends and makes space for all kinds of faith. And it is there not just to protect faith, but also those of no faith."
Terry Sanderson, of the Secular Society, said that the Queen's depiction of the Church as inclusive was "hard to swallow". "In a vastly diverse society such as ours, it is unsustainable that this tiny denomination - fewer than a million people attend C of E services on the average Sunday - should have such extensive privileges."